Updated at 8:45 a.m. on 6/12/19 — Fairfax County Fire and Rescue has determined the fire was accidentally started in the knee wall space of the second-floor master bedroom by electrical malfunction involving the wiring circuitry to the HVAC unit.
From the fire department:
One worker was present inside the house, and several workers were outside, when the fire was discovered. The worker inside noticed electrical arcing from the main electrical panel. 9-1-1 was then called. Smoke alarms were present but did not alert due to the location of the fire… The house was vacant at the time of the fire. Red Cross assistance was not needed. Damages as a result of the fire were approximately $75,000.
Earlier: Firefighters have extinguished a fire that broke out in the attic of a Merrifield home.
Fairfax County Fire and Rescue tweeted at 11:52 a.m. today (June 4) that firefighters were on the scene of the fire in the 2900 block of Cedarest Road.
The fire department then tweeted at 12:22 p.m. that the attic fire is now out.
A spokesperson for the fire department told Tysons Reporter that everyone in the house is OK and that the fire likely started in the attic area and spread up through the roof.
“Crews are performing gross decontamination cleaning on personnel to wash contaminates/potential carcinogens off firefighters’ gear,” the fire department tweeted at 12:48 p.m.
UPDATE house fire in 2900 block of Cedarest Road in Merrifield. Last update. Fire Investigators starting to work to determine cause. Several units going back in service. Thanks also @ArlingtonVaFD for helping out. ##FCFRD #FairfaxCounty pic.twitter.com/JJq8o1NlHV
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) June 4, 2019
UPDATE from scene of house fire on Cedarest Road in Merrifield. Correct address is 2900 block. Fire in attic. Fire is out. Crews checking for extension. All occupants safely out. @FairfaxCityFire assisting. #FCFRD #FairfaxCounty pic.twitter.com/7EZgd3uwA5
— Fairfax County Fire/Rescue (@ffxfirerescue) June 4, 2019
Catherine Moran and Vernon Miles worked on this story.
Map via Google Maps
A free summer concert series will kick off Friday (June 7) in the Town of Vienna.
The town partnered with the Rotary Club of Vienna and other sponsors on the “Summer on the Green Concert Series.”
The concerts start at 6:30 p.m. — unless otherwise noted — on Fridays at the Vienna Town Green (144 E. Maple Avenue).
Friday performance schedule:
- June 7: Vienna Idol
- June 14: Nowhere Men, an acoustic Beatles tribute band
- June 21: Chillin’ on Church featuring the Deja Gruv Band
- June 28: Sarah Bennett Swanner playing country and blues Covers
- July 5: U.S. Navy Band Commodores, a big band jazz ensemble
- July 12: Fat Chance playing rock music
- July 19: Chillin’ on Church featuring Mudlark
- July 26: U.S. Army Band playing Louisiana jazz and folk
- August 2: The Rockits playing rock and Motown
- August 9: Shenandoah Run, a folk group
- August 16: Chillin’ on Church featuring Big Bad JuJu
- August 23: Wayne Tympanick Trio playing jazz
- September 20: Chillin’ on Church featuring the Hard Swimmin’ Fish
The concert series also has a handful of performances that are not on Fridays, but do start at 6:30 p.m., including:
- Wednesday, June 12: Rocknocerous
- Sunday, July 7: U.S. Navy Band playing bluegrass
- Sunday, July 21: Vienna Community Band
Attendees can bring chairs and blankets, but should leave alcohol and pets at home.
If rain clouds roll in, attendees can call 703-255-7842 or the Department of Parks and Recreation at 703-255-6360 two hours before the event for cancellation information.
Image via Google Maps
Fairfax County police are investigating a burglary of a home in the Fall Church area.
The incident occurred at 7800 Shreve Road around 8:30 p.m. on Friday, May 31.
“Someone entered through an unlocked window and stole jewelry,” according to the police report.
Image via Google Maps
A meeting Wednesday in Vienna will provide information on a proposed design concept for the I-66 and Nutley Street interchange.
The proposed “dog bone” design is meant to improve traffic flow on Nutley Street and reduce construction impacts nearby, according to the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority.
Additionally, the project would connect shared-use paths with planned bicycle and pedestrian improvements around the Vienna/Fairfax-GMU Metro station, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).
The proposed redesign is a part of a larger project to transform I-66 stretching from I-495 in Gainesville to Dunn Loring near Route 29.
VDOT’s timeline for the interchange project is:
- spring 2019: clearing activities begin
- summer 2019: traffic shifts on I-66 near Nutley Street
- 2020: traffic shifts on Nutley Street and ramps and construction begins
- December 2022: express lanes open
Clearing has already happened around the interchange and parts of I-66, according to VDOT.
The June 5 meeting runs from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at James Madison High School (2500 James Madison Drive).
The meeting is free and will be in an open-house format with brief presentations at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m., according to a recent Town of Vienna newsletter.
Images via VDOT
(Updated at 1:55 p.m.) Cosmetics chain Sephora will close its stores for training on Wednesday (June 5), after R&B singer SZA accused the store of racial profiling.
The stores will be closed for one hour, The New York Times reported. Sephora has a spot in Tysons Corner Center on the second level across from another cosmetics store — Morphe.
In April, SZA tweeted that a Sephora store in California “called security to make sure I wasn’t stealing.”
Lmao Sandy Sephora location 614 Calabasas called security to make sure I wasn’t stealing . We had a long talk. U have a blessed day Sandy
— SZA (@sza) May 1, 2019
Sephora tweeted back on May 1: “You are a part of the Sephora family, and we are committed to ensuring every member of our community feels welcome and included at our stores.”
In another tweet the same day, the company also said that they “take complaints like this very seriously and are actively working with our teams to address the situation immediately.”
Then on Thursday, May 23, Sephora posted on Facebook:
On the morning of 6/5, every Sephora store, distribution center, and corporate office in the US will close to host inclusion workshops for our employees. These values have always been at the heart of Sephora, and we’re excited to welcome everyone when we reopen.
The stores will reopen after the one-hour-long inclusion training, The New York Times reported.
The Paris-based chain offers more than 300 brands and its own private label.
Image via Sephora/Facebook
The Vienna Police Department is offering tips for how to prevent stolen cars and vehicle tampering after a recent spate of car-related crimes.
“With the advent of warmer weather, the Town of Vienna Police Department would like to remind all Town of Vienna residents to secure their vehicles and personal belongings,” the reminder says. “Recently there have been several vehicle tamperings to include stolen vehicles from Vienna and the neighboring jurisdictions.”
The last week in May saw a dramatic increase for the month with a total of 21 car-related crimes, according to the weekly police highlights.
From May 24-30, police reported 13 vehicle tamperings, two stolen autos, three grand larcenies related to car thefts and three petit larcenies related to car thefts — not to mention, one Segway scooter reported as abandoned in front of one Vienna resident’s home.
Earlier in the month, the weekly crime reports ranged from three to seven car-related crimes.
While the police highlights are not a comprehensive list of every incident, they provide “a more substantive summary of several incidents, which may be of interest to the community,” according to the Town of Vienna.
The Vienna Police Department gave the following tips:
- lock car doors
- secure car windows
- remove any valuable items
- remove keys
- report suspicious activity
“In some cases, the subjects have been observed wearing several layers of clothing, not consistent with the weather conditions,” according to police. “This is used to conceal stolen items and also to make identification difficult as they will shed layers of clothing as they flee the area when they suspect they have been observed committing a crime.”
In ToV police incident reports from 5/24-30, there were reports of items stolen from 12 vehicles, 11 vehicles rummaged thru, and 2 cars stolen. What did they all have in common? The vehicles were unlocked! Vienna PD reminds residents to lock car doors & remove valuables. pic.twitter.com/bhfKPZeism
— Town of Vienna, VA (@TownofViennaVA) June 3, 2019
Photo via Facebook
The Weekly Planner is a roundup of interesting events coming up over the next week in the Tysons area.
We’ve scoured the web for events of note in Tysons, Vienna, Merrifield, McLean and Falls Church. Know of any we’ve missed? Tell us!
Monday (June 3)
- Commonwealth’s Attorney Candidate Forum on Criminal Justice — 7-9 p.m. at First Baptist Church of Vienna (450 Orchard Street) — Four local justice-related organizations are hosting a debate incumbent Commonwealth’s Attorney Raymond Morrough and challenger Steve Descano, who have clashed throughout the race over the reach of the office into political issues.
Wednesday (June 5)
- Learning about the Opioid Crisis — 11 a.m.-12 p.m. at Tysons-Pimmit Regional Library (7584 Leesburg Pike) — A pharmacist will be on hand at the library to teach about opioid use, signs and symptoms of drug abuse, addiction, and drug overdose.
- Nutley/I-66 Interchange Update — 6:30-8:30 p.m. at James Madison High School (2500 James Madison Drive) — The Fairfax Alliance for Better Bicycling is hosting a meeting with the Virginia Department of Transportation to discuss how work on the Transform 66 project will impact the cycling and pedestrian trail.
- Jesse Ruben Album Release at Jammin Java — 7:30 p.m. at Jammin Java (227 Maple Ave E.) — Acoustic artist Jesse Ruben is planning an album release party at Jammin Java, performing a mix of songs from the new EP and older material.
Thursday (June 6)
- Board of Supervisors Chair Candidates on the Environment — 7-9 p.m. at Blueberry Hill Common House (9701 Farmside Place) — The candidates for Board of Supervisors Chair are planned to attend a debate focusing on environmental and energy issues. The debate will be moderated by George Mason University Professor Star Muir.
Friday (June 7)
- Vienna Idol 2019 Finale — 6:30 p.m. at the Vienna Town Green (144 Maple Ave) — Six finalists are competing in the Vienna Idol finale. The audience will vote with tickets on the winner. All proceeds from the event go to the Khristin Kyllo Memorial Fund.
Saturday (June 8)
- All Star Comic Con 2019 — 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Sheraton Tysons Hotel (8661 Leesburg Pike) — Tysons’ one and only comic convention returns for two days of comics, vendors, artists, cosplay and more. Guests at the con include writers Gail Simone and Tom King.
- “The Spies of Shilling Lane” Signing — 3-4 p.m. at Barnes & Noble (7851 Tysons Corner Center) — Author Jennifer Ryan is hosting a signing for her new novel about a mother trying to find a daughter who has gone missing in the espionage underworld of the London Blitz.
- The World’s Most Alluring Cars — 4-9 p.m. at Tysons Biergarten (8346 Leesburg Pike) — A James Bond-themed event is planned with classic cars, from a 1911 Stanley Steam Car to a 2019 Lamborghini. Food, beer, martinis and cigars will all be available at the event.
- Three Year Anniversary for Greenhouse Bistro — 5 p.m.-2 a.m. at Greenhouse Bistro (2070 Chain Bridge Road) — Greenhouse Bistro is celebrating three years in Tysons and is welcoming guests to an invitation-only party. An RSVP is available at the event page with guests asked to sign up no later than June 7. An “upscale attire” will be strictly enforced.
Photo via Vienna Idol/Facebook
The Lewinsville Center, an “intergenerational facility” with programs for the elderly and children, is now open in McLean.
The new center houses:
- The Lewinsville Senior Center: a program with a fitness room, tech access, and gathering places for adults 50 and over to take up new hobbies and socialize.
- Lewinsville Adult Day Health Care: a program designed for memory care, including a gated outdoor garden and fountain, an indoor walking path, library, health clinic and art room.
- Lewinsville Montessori School and Westgate Child Care Center: colorful play and learn spaces aimed at caring for young children.
The new center is built near The Fallstead, an 82-unit affordable senior living facility, which opened last October.
“The Lewinsville Center seeks to foster a strong sense of community through providing the supports, programs and services which allow individuals and families throughout the neighborhood to continue to contribute their talents and abilities through all of life’s stages,” according to Fairfax County’s Neighborhood and Community Services website.
Both the Lewinsville Center and The Fallstead aim to address a lack of senior living and senior care facilities throughout Fairfax County.
Images via Fairfax County
(Updated at 12:10 p.m. on June 4) President Donald Trump made a quick, speechless-stop at the McLean Bible Church after a round of golf on Sunday (June 2).
Trump bowed his head in prayer with pastor David Platt — reportedly in remembrance of the victims of the mass shooting in Virginia Beach, though no mention of the shooting was made while Trump was there.
Trump was only on the stage for a few minutes and made no remarks to the audience.
President Trump makes an unannounced stop at McLean Bible Church in Vienna, VA. pic.twitter.com/qBZzDi96vl
— The Hill (@thehill) June 2, 2019
Photo via Google Maps
Bus riders in the Tysons area can expect to see blue and white Fastran buses on some Fairfax Connector routes starting today (June 3).
The buses are meant to help riders impacted by the summer shutdown of several Metro stations during the summer.
The Fairfax County Department of Neighborhood and Community Services and Fairfax County Department of Transportation teamed up to bring Fastran buses to a few Fairfax Connector routes, as the Fairfax Connector offers more service on two express routes from the Springfield area to the Pentagon.
The Fastran buses will cover these Fairfax Connector routes:
“Fastran buses do not have route numbers and destinations listed outside of the buses,” according to Fairfax County. “The Fastran buses will stop at each bus stop on affected routes to make sure passengers know to board. When boarding, please look for a sign inside the bus to verify your route.”
Riders won’t be able to check real-time arrival information for the Fastran buses, since the buses do not have the technology. Fairfax County urges riders to get to their bus stop at least 5 minutes before the bus’ scheduled arrival time, which can be found via the static schedule information on BusTracker and by texting 41-411.
Metro recently closed several stations on the Blue and Yellow lines south of Ronald Reagan National Airport for platform reconstruction that will last until September.
Fairfax County is deploying the Fastran buses through September.
Let us know below if the Metro shutdown will affect you during the summer.
Photo via UCM of Alexandria/Facebook
